I have changed Chapter One of Pureblood Dreams, along with making alterations to chapters 11, 15, 17 and 18. You may wish to re-read them at some point. Many Thanks. LB

Chapter Six

The ten prospective Aurors clapped politely as Bartemius Crouch, Head of Dept., stepped down from the podium and left the room. Sirius rolled his eyes, exciting that speech had not been. Moody, who had been standing in the corner of the room with his arms folded, strode forward and stopped in front of the lectern.

"Now it's my turn," he growled, "I am Alastor Moody, you will address me as 'sir'. I am not going to teach you how to 'detect and dispose of threats to our community'. I am going to teach you how not to get killed. There are two words you need to remember at all times: CONSTANT VIGILENCE. Follow me."

They marched down a corridor and into a classroom. Its walls were a patchwork of greens and browns, and there were a few cupboards and folding chairs with attached desks off to one side. Moody went to the front of the group and eyeballed the new recruits. Young and inexperienced, they'd soon learn. The Auror programme usually took two years to complete, but with the war against the Dark Lord and his minions going slowly the course had been pared down to its essentials. These guys and gals would be on the front line in eight months. Not enough time to train a monkey, let alone overconfident teenagers.

"In this room there are wizards. They are not using invisibility cloaks or spells to hide." He paused, watching their reactions. Most looked surprised and examined the walls a little closer, several put their hands in their pockets – possibly checking their wands – but that was all. Moody shook his head; he hated new recruits.

"I just told you to remember two words. Constant. Vigilance. Yet you all walked into an unknown room, following a stranger, and were told there were wizards in it. And not one of you had your WANDS OUT!"

There was a flurry of movement as the students pulled out their wands. Moody gave them a heartbeat longer, and then said, "What are you waiting for? An invitation? Find those wizards!"

They all spread out in a hurry, poking their wands at anything and everything. Basic detection spells flew around the room and everyone moved as urgently and energetically as possible. Almost everyone that was. Moody looked the young man standing calmly in the centre of the room up and down. He caught the name on the name-tag and asked, "Why are you just standing there, Longbottom? Do you know where these wizards are without looking?"

"Yes sir," replied Frank confidently.

"Where?"

"Well I'm one of them sir, and you're another. And there are nine more," Frank said as he waved his hand at the other students, "not using invisibility cloaks or spells of any kind."

Everyone stopped moving and an expectant hush fell over the room. James was amazed at Frank's audacious move. He was practically saying that Moody's order to search for the wizards was a fraud. There was a tense moment as Moody eyeballed the young man. Then he gave a short sharp laugh.

"Correct. What Longbottom here has used are his powers of observation and his ability to listen carefully. I did not say there were any extra wizards in the room." Moody waved his wand at the folded chairs and they set themselves up across the space. He then summoned the chalk and started writing on the blackboard. "The first lesson in concealment is about the most underused method of all: Standing in Plain Sight."

XoXoX

The cage door closed behind him with a clang.

He tried not to think of it as a cage, but what else could he call it? Steel bars two inches thick concreted into the ground and ceiling in four inch intervals. One barred door and an impressive lock. It was a cage.

Remus sighed and began divesting himself of most of his clothing. Chucking it through the bars, he sat cross-legged on the cold bare floor and looked up at the tiny window near the ceiling. Soon the moon would shine its reflected light through the small gap and he would transform.

To pass the time, Remus started running over some household calculations in his head again. He knew how much he paid in rent, but since he gave it to James every month he hadn't realised the actual cost of the property. Yesterday he'd, unusually, been the first home and so had picked up the post. The bills had been perfectly clear – James had lied to him. Remus was paying less than his share. He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it, and even less certain what to do about the matter.

A stirring in his bones pushed the decision aside. The moon was rising and it was time to change. Moving from his cross-legged position (Wolves can't sit cross-legged) Remus gritted his teeth against the inevitable pain.

Bones stretched, muscles lengthened, hair rippled down arms and legs. Nails elongated and sharpened, turning thick and yellow. In the now-canine mouth the eye-teeth became prominent, promising fierce injury to those who crossed their owner.

Remus sagged to the floor panting. That never got any easier. As the pain eased and the sweat dried he checked himself over, making sure there was no real damage. In the midst of the transformation there was no control and small scratches were common as he writhed. Let's see, he thought, A long one on my back left leg, at least it's not deep. And the usual few on my muzzle; why does that always happen?

Assessment done he sat back on his haunches and considered his mind. For the last...almost two years, his control, his self had been growing in dominance when he was transformed. In the last couple of moons though a new shift seemed to have occurred. No longer was the wolf a completely separate entity that usurped his human self, a being of pure instinct and ferocious bloodlust. Now it was a part of him, just as much as his love of books. Remus knew that when he was human he was the same person he had always been, albeit with a shorter temper and a tad more impulsive. Oh and a preference for rare rather than well-done meat. As a wolf he had gained more. He was able to think, to rationalise, to consider his options. He could recognise his friends, and was no longer a danger to anyone.

In all his reading on his condition Remus had never come across the slightest hint that this could ever happen. The other werewolves he'd half mentioned it too hadn't known anything either, busy accepting or struggling their own way through the traumatic experience. Yet he was no longer a mindless monster every full moon, and there had to be an explanation. He had looked, searched, and found nothing. Remus did suspect it had something to do with what had happened at Tintagel, but finding information on the magic of that place was like taking a photograph of a pink elephant.

In the end the cause didn't really matter; if it meant he could curl up here, or run outside knowing he was tame every full moon, Remus would accept it with pleasure.

A sound from upstairs drew his interest away from his condition and the wolf twitched his ears to hear better. The front door slammed and footsteps pounded over his head on the ground floor. His ears tracked the light but firm tread from hallway to kitchen. Something was dropped heavily on the kitchen table and the sound of doors banging left Remus in no doubt; it was Lily and she was not in a good mood. Ever since James had started his Auror training a couple of months ago he'd been out at all hours and extremely tired when he got back. It was putting a strain on their relationship, though Lily had yet to admit it to James. She was still hiding her worry from everyone.

Remus winced as the young woman lost her temper and threw a plate across the room to shatter against the wall. Several more followed. Remus lay down and put his paws over his nose in a sign of resignation. It was times like these he was glad he was a werewolf.

XoXoX

"My head hurts," complained Sirius.

"I can't stop twitching. I hate days with Moody, I can never stop twitching," said James, trying to stop his leg from bouncing as he sat opposite Sirius.

"At least he didn't shout in your ear."

"It's his habit of popping up behind you and saying 'Constant Vigilance'. It puts me on edge."

"Well you boys look like you had a fantastic day," said Lily, coming into the living room and slumping onto the sofa next to James. He put his arm around her and tried even harder not to jump at small noises.

"And what did you do today?" asked Sirius.

"I got very messy."

"Messy? How could you get messy working at Ollivanders? Dusty I could see."

"We took a shipment of a dozen dragon hearts this morning. And I spent the entire day pulling out the heartstrings and bottling them. I washed my hair three times and I still feel like I'm covered in blood." Lily ran her fingers through her hair and shuddered. "Dragon's blood is not a good shampoo."

"Which by a circuitous route reminds me... Were you able to pick up my order from Madam Malkin's?" Sirius asked, his voice sounding a little odd as he compensated against the ringing in his ears.

"Yes. It's sitting on the kitchen table."

Sirius stood up and stretched until his joints creaked and a large yawn made his ears pop. As he left the room Lily called after him, asking if he was staying for dinner. Waiting for him to return James followed his friend's example and stretched, then he tried to relax all his crazy muscles. He buried his nose in Lily's hair and breathed in; this was the reason he was going through the crammed Auror training, it was the reason why in three months he would fight for real.

"I won't have dinner, thanks," said Sirius, coming back into the room with a package under his arm. "I'm meeting Beatrice."

"How is she?" asked Lily. She hadn't spoken to Beatrice in ages, and had been so busy that the thought of writing kept being pushed out of her head.

"She's meeting with LeStrange next week. He'll be proposing," Sirius said sourly.

Lily gave a little 'oh' and put a hand to her mouth, she'd never thought Beatrice's family would actually push her into the arranged marriage.

"She'll say no," James said with a small question in his tone.

"I don't know." Sirius sighed and balanced the package on the back of the chair. "If she says no she'll be disinherited and branded a Traitor. And she doesn't even have the few options I had. Had I not known Prongs here I could have gone to Cousin Andromeda's; she married a Muggle."

"But surely she could stay with you. You've got the funds and the place now, thanks to Uncle Alphard."

"I suggested it. She said: 'And do what?'. She wouldn't be able to get any kind of magical work around Purebloods at the moment. I only got into the Academy because of your dad." Sirius pointed at James. "I don't know. We'll figure something out. Thanks for this, Lily." He waved the package and said his goodbyes.

As the roar of Sirius' motorbike faded away into the clouds there came a tapping at the window. James half-groaned and prepared to drag his still twitching muscles out of his seat. A hand on his chest stopped him in his tracks and pushed him back down.

"I'll get it," Lily said tiredly, getting up and opening the window. The post owl swooped in, dropped its letter neatly into Lily's hand and flew back out into the night.

"It's from Professor Dumbledore."

"Really? What does he want?"

"He's inviting us to a 'meeting of like minds' in the upstairs room in the Hogshead on Sunday at 2pm. He's mentioned that he's invited some of our friends: Alice, Sirius..."

James waved his hand, indicating that he wanted to read the letter. His eyebrows raised as he saw that all the 'mentions' were part of the group they'd hung out with back at school. And reading between the lines if they agreed to something or other then he'd be in familiar company. Certainly it seemed to indicate that Moody might be involved. Was Dumbledore putting together some group to combat the darkness?

"I think we should go," said Lily, rubbing behind her ear.

"I agree. I also think it's time for food. I'm starving." James gave a puppy-dog look to Lily, "What's for dinner?"

"Dragon's Blood!" exclaimed Lily, holding out her fingers, "Dragon's Blood everywhere!" She walked out of the room and James heard running water.

"I don't think I want Dragon's Blood for dinner," he said to himself.

XoXoX

Albus Dumbledore sat at the head of a long table and smiled, welcomed and offered tea to the group of young men and women trickling through the door. All were nineteen or twenty years old and chosen for their loyalty, bravery and dedication. As the lithe form of Remus Lupin came in, looked around and closed the door, Albus got to his feet.

"Thank you all for coming. Would anyone like some more tea before we begin?" He smiled at the good-natured refusals and sat down. "I would like to speak to you about an organisation called the Order of the Phoenix. As you are aware we are currently in the midst of a war with Voldemort." Albus noted who flinched, and importantly who didn't, at the name. "And although the Ministry's coverage and defence has prevented a number of major disasters they have other priorities to consider."

"Such as hiding it from the Muggles," commented Sirius.

Albus nodded, "The Order of the Phoenix is a group of like-minded individuals who feel that more can be done. We have Aurors, researchers and specialists among our numbers. Together the Order provides a network across the majority of Wizarding Britain, ready to respond to the more personalised attacks by the Death Eaters. We also seek out ways to end the war." Albus paused and took in the rapt and curious faces of the half-dozen seated round the table. "I would like to invite you to join the Order of the Phoenix."

There was a rustling and shifting as people took in the information and invite, exchanging looks with each other. Frank Longbottom leaned forward from where he was sat between Alice and James.

"Does the Ministry know about this 'Order'?" he asked.

"No," replied Albus, a twinkle in his eye. "Though many Order members do work at the Ministry."

"Professor-" Lily began.

"Albus, please. You are no longer my students," the Headmaster of Hogwarts said with a smile.

"Alright, A-Albus. Why us? I mean me, Remus and Peter." Lily gestured around the table. "We have no training in defence or fighting like the others. What could we contribute?"

"We have many avenues for research, and negotiation that your talents would be a benefit to."

Lily bit her lip and turned to James who shrugged and looked across the table as the serious faces of his friends. Being willing to defend people against the Dark forces was one thing, but working outside the bounds of the law was another. Even though they would be doing good, helping probably more people than they could as Aurors alone, it was still a big decision. If the Ministry or, James shuddered, Crouch found out they'd be locked up for life before you could say 'innocent'. And yet...

Clearing his throat Dumbledore steepled his fingers and said, "I am sorry I cannot give you more time, but I must ask for an answer. Will you join us?"

Alice broke off her whispered conversation with Frank and met Dumbledore's clear blue eyes and said firmly, "Yes."

"Yes," said Frank, nodding.

"Definitely," affirmed Sirius.

"We'll join," said Lily and James in unison.

"Yes," said Peter quickly, nervously.

Remus hesitated a moment, knowing that the 'negotiations' would probably involved him and a pack of werewolves. "Yes," he said at last. This way at least he could do something.

"Thank you," said Albus sincerely, "And welcome to the Order of the Phoenix."

XoXoX

He walked up the enclosed stone steps from the platform and turned the corner into the grand foyer, briefcase in hand. The foyer was full of people. Empty. He was imagining them. He turned; before him stood a woman, glowing with white light. She reached out and touched him. Then he knew. He was asleep. Dreaming.

She looked familiar. Dark hair and soft features. She looked down; he followed her gaze. There lay a young woman curled on the floor under a thin blanket. Blood oozed from a wound.

He heard himself speak. "Who are you?" It was Morrigan on the floor. The glowing woman looked like her but with a rounder face.

"She shouldn't have to bear this. It wasn't her fault." He took this with the equanimity of the dreamer.

Morrigan jerked in her sleep. A cold finger running down her spine; an elf walking over her grave.

"It was my error," she said.

He looked through the speaking woman.

There was a golden door that felt familiar; an older woman who didn't. The white light woman was there next to a dark-wrapped man. A bright living light came from the door and hit the man.

"Now she pays the consequences."

The white woman looked at him and he raised his wand. "Please help her when she comes to you. Don't turn her away." He stared into bright light. "Help her, Severus..."

XoXoX

"This isn't working," said Sirius, practically throwing his mug onto the table. It had been four months since he had joined the Order of the Phoenix, along with his best friends, and he had become a fully fledged, battle hardened Auror. In that time he'd saved a lot of lives, fought a lot of battles, and learnt just how hidebound the Ministry really was. But right now Sirius wasn't pissed at the Ministry but at the Order. "In the last few weeks we've interrupted dozens of attacks, fought who knows how many Death Eaters, and it isn't enough!" He thumped his fist on the table. "We're still only responding!"

"What do you suggest, Black?" Moody asked, pouring sugar into his coffee.

It was a full Order meeting, an event that rarely happened for security reasons, and everyone was a little on edge. They'd been forced to find a larger place to meet and although Sirius's Hebridean home was secure there was still the concern of someone spotting and reporting them. After all, a meeting quadrupled the number of wizards in the Inner Hebrides.

"We need to get there at the beginning or before the attacks. We need information. We need a rat inside the Death Eaters." Sirius's eyes lit up at the prospect.

"Since we're never going to get one of them to turn," Moody said, not noticing Peter Pettigrew's head jerk up at Sirius's suggestion. "I propose we move on to more useful things. Elphias, Lily, how are those new communication methods working out?"

The large group launched into a discussion on long and short-distance communications, Lily Evans and Elphias Doge leading the charge. It was one of the major questions – how to contact a disparate group of people without using methods that took hours, especially when not all members could be guaranteed to be next to a fire at all times.

A tap on Remus Lupin's shoulder made him start and turn to look questioningly at the usually benign face of Albus Dumbledore. The elderly, yet spry man beckoned him aside and they slipped quietly out of the room into what looked like a cross between a drawing room and a motorbike workshop.

Albus smiled indulgently at the mess before fixing Remus with a solemn look. "How are you, my boy?"

"I'm well, thank you Albus," said Remus, feeling rather curious as to what this was about. It wasn't often that the Head of the Order took someone aside.

"And your condition?"

Remus blinked. "I'm handling it."

"Good, good." Albus wandered over to what looked like a pile of oily junk but was probably an engine. "Remus. Have you ever been contacted by any of the packs in Britain?" he asked.

"Yes," said Remus hesitantly. "Once when I was turned and again when I graduated. Albus?"

"You know what has been occurring in East Anglia with the werewolves?" Albus asked, ignoring the tacit question of where he was going with this.

"Yes," growled Remus. He knew what had been happening. The Essex pack, led by the rogue Fenrir Greyback, had been tearing through villages attacking anyone they could lay teeth and claws on. Positioning themselves near a target village just prior to the full moon, the werewolves didn't even try to fight their natures. Allied with Voldemort, the pack represented everything Remus hated. "Yes," he growled again, "I know."

"I have been considering the problem and have formulated the most likely solution. We must, if you'll pardon the expression, fight fire with fire."

"You want werewolves to fight werewolves." Remus shook his head at the audacity of the idea. "I'm only one man, Albus."

"Indeed. But you do have leadership skills. Skills which a neutral pack would recognise."

"You – you want me to join a pack, work my way up to being Alpha, and then lead the pack in an attack against the Essex lot. Albus, do you know how much time that would take? Fenrir Greyback may have taken over the Essex pack quickly, but that's because he killed the Alpha. I won't do that."

"I know that Remus." Albus lay a firm hand on the young man's shoulder. "All I'm asking is that you try."

Remus looked doubtful; in the time he had know Albus Dumbledore he had never seen the man ask for anything less than a person's best. And, being the respected person he was, this meant that everyone always gave 120%, not wanting to disappoint the man with a twinkle in his eye. Yet even knowing this didn't lessen the kindly old wizard's power over him. He nodded, a little reluctantly, he would go to the werewolves and see what he could do.

XoXoX

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